DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.548#0069
66
THE EXODUS PAPYRI.
succeeded in his high office of head of Pinebsa's
college of scribes by his son Amen-m-Heb.
Professing as I do to throw fresh light upon the
age of Moses, I cannot avoid a reference to the
somewhat dry but important subject of chronology.
It will be seen that I have avoided the dangers of
original research by submitting to the guidance of
the accurate authoress of my introductory chapter.
A few words, then, as to her work. Having but
a general acquaintance with the subject, I find in
the first place that none but she has produced any
definite system at all for this period, and I, there-
fore, of course, shrewdly guess that others have
been unable rather than unwilling to do that which
would have gained for their subject so much of
reality in the estimation of the world. What,
then, have others done ? and why have they done
no more? Mr. Osburn's book has only appeared
when these pages were on the point of being trans-
mitted to the printer. Bunsen has collected from
ancient authors all the Latin and Greek he can
find upon the subject. A useful and necessary com-
mencement. Lepsius has assiduously copied every
Egyptian inscription he; could lay his hands upon,
and without that preliminary work we should have
been unable to move. Between them they have
also made every possible guess that such and such
a Greek royal name means such and such an Egyp-
tian one, and that such and such an author made
such and such an error, being so and so incorrectly
copied. All this is highly useful; but I believe I
am correct in saying, that no special tangible chro-
THE EXODUS PAPYRI.
succeeded in his high office of head of Pinebsa's
college of scribes by his son Amen-m-Heb.
Professing as I do to throw fresh light upon the
age of Moses, I cannot avoid a reference to the
somewhat dry but important subject of chronology.
It will be seen that I have avoided the dangers of
original research by submitting to the guidance of
the accurate authoress of my introductory chapter.
A few words, then, as to her work. Having but
a general acquaintance with the subject, I find in
the first place that none but she has produced any
definite system at all for this period, and I, there-
fore, of course, shrewdly guess that others have
been unable rather than unwilling to do that which
would have gained for their subject so much of
reality in the estimation of the world. What,
then, have others done ? and why have they done
no more? Mr. Osburn's book has only appeared
when these pages were on the point of being trans-
mitted to the printer. Bunsen has collected from
ancient authors all the Latin and Greek he can
find upon the subject. A useful and necessary com-
mencement. Lepsius has assiduously copied every
Egyptian inscription he; could lay his hands upon,
and without that preliminary work we should have
been unable to move. Between them they have
also made every possible guess that such and such
a Greek royal name means such and such an Egyp-
tian one, and that such and such an author made
such and such an error, being so and so incorrectly
copied. All this is highly useful; but I believe I
am correct in saying, that no special tangible chro-